Indian Dance Performance Wows Audience

Scene from the performance

The audience at Bathish Auditorium was treated to a great performance of classical Indian dance by a troupe of nine dancers from the Abhinaya Group, choreographed by Jayalakshmi Eshwar. Organized by the Indian Embassy and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, in collaboration with AUB's President's Club, the event was the first of its kind in AUB and Lebanon in ten years.

In a flurry of pink and gold, the dancers took to the stage in a series of seven dances from different styles of the Bharatnatyam Dance School, starting off with a dance about the sun and its significance as the source of all existence. In a dance ranging between calm and slow rhythms to powerful beats and movements, the performers acted out the rise of the sun and its becoming the center of the lives of rural Indians. The dancers moved to the beat accompanied by traditional Indian music. Through meticulous hand gestures and powerful facial expressions, the dancers depicted the importance of the sun and its force on life in India.

Jayalakshmi explained to the audience that the Bharatnatyam dance tradition dates back to at least 2,000 years. She said the dance is composed of two main elements: expression and technique. Expression is depicted in the performers' facial expressions, while technique is demonstrated in the hand gestures. The gestures, Jayalakshmi said, include single and double hand gestures, with the first including 28 gestures and the second including 24.

The next dance was followed by an equally powerful one about the Indian god Shiva, which culminated in the seven dancers depicting the image of the god. Then came a dance comprised of martial arts, with two dancers performing with sword and shield, while wearing traditional Indian masks. The fourth dance involved Jayalakshmi in a dance about a dispute with the Indian god Krishna. Through her facial expressions, Jayalakshmi depicted the impact of the god's anger on nature. Another dance had two dancers acting out rowing against a powerful river current, signifying the ups and downs of life. The last two dances were expressions of joy, emphasizing rhythm and lively movements.

Jayalakshmi is an accomplished performer and a teacher of dance. A student of the Kalakshetra Dance School, she recently published an instructional dance book, Hastha Prayogaah. She has participated in many festivals around the world and won a number of awards for her work.